The World’s Most Dangerous Profession - James 3:1-2 Series

Matthew 23:7 they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’

They love having titles of honor and respect. These people are usually pretty easy to spot when they come to Agape, because they’ll come to us and say, “I want to teach.” And so we say, “Okay, how about you start with teaching the youth group?” And they aren’t interested. There is no title that goes along with that. It won’t get them any special reputation with people in the church. Most people won’t even know they’re doing it.

These are the kind of people who say, “I want to be an elder or deacon,” and we say, “What ministry are you doing?” and they say, “Well, nothing just yet, but here’s what I plan to do once I’m ordained…” That’s someone who cares more about the title than the work.

Leadership is a Place of Constant Temptation toward Pride

Those are the last people you ever want to place in leadership. Leadership in the church, and especially teaching ministry, is a place where there is constant temptation to become a man pleaser. When you teach a class and it starts out with 40 people, and a month later it’s down to six - that’s pretty humiliating. But on the other hand, if you start with six and after a few weeks you have to change rooms because more and more people keep crowding in, even the most humble man will be tempted to be puffed up with pride. And so there is a constant temptation to cater to people’s desires so that they will like you as a teacher. And that is especially true if you make your living by teaching. For someone like me, if I preach and the people don’t come back, I’m out of a job. My livelihood depends on people wanting to hear more of my teaching. And so there is a constant temptation to begin formulating what I say in my sermons in such a way as to gain approval from people. It is a constant temptation, but it is a deadly sin.

Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

That’s a pretty strong statement. But it’s true. Seeking approval from men destroys your faith in Christ.

John 5:44 How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?

Seeking honor from men is incompatible with faith. Every human being seeks honor. The question is, do you seek it from men or from God?

Romans 2:7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

If you seek honor and glory from God, God will give you honor and glory and eternal life. But if you seek it from men, you are not a servant of Christ. And that is hard, because if you are a faithful Bible teacher, as you go verse by verse through the Scriptures, fairly often you will hit something and realize, “If I teach this, it is not going to go over well. If I say this, we’re going to lose some families. People are going to be upset with me. The giving is going to drop.” That happens all the time, and it is in those moments when you find out whether you are working for the approval of men or of God.